Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha (well all I really want is Sesshomaru), but you get the point

'.' - thoughts "." - dialogue

Chapter 4: Kagura and Naraku

Naru left Kagura in the library, and headed to Kagome's room.
Kagome awoke with a start. Her miko senses were going crazy. 'Why can I sense so many demons?' But as soon as this thought crossed her mind she remembered the demon lord and rose to find him. 'I must hear this proposition.' She rose and crossed the room. Just as she reached the door, it opened. She backed away from the demon that entered her room. Standing before her was a beautiful youkai. She had long golden hair that fell to her knees. Her ears were like that of a cat, but more wild. Her face has whiskers. Naru realized that to a human she was a startling sight. She opened her mouth to explain her appearance, but Kagome realized what she was before Naru got a chance to speak.
"You're a cat youkai! Oh my you are very beautiful, but why are you~~ I mean ~~ what can I do for you?" Naru smiled.
"I'm a lion actually, but you got close. It is in the cat family. I am here to get you ready to meet Lord Sesshomaru. I will get you an outfit while you wash." The idea of taking a bath made Kagome smile, 'At least Sesshomaru recognizes simple necessities such as bathing.' Naru lead Kagome to the hot spring down the hall, and went to fetch some clothes. Kagome sighed as she relaxed into the warm water. It had been so long since she had gotten to relax. She had just finished washing when the door opened. Kagome couldn't see who it was, but assumed that it was Naru bringing her clothes. "Oh Naru, that was wonderfully relaxing." "I'm glad you liked it Kagome." Kagome gasped. It was not Naru's voice. She turned to face whoever was behind her. To her shock it was Kagura.
"Kagura! Where is Naru?" Kagome was completely confused, and Kagura chuckled.
"I ran into Naru in the hall. She was bringing you these clothes." It was only then that Kagome saw the beautiful cloth folded in Kagura's arms, but she didn't trust Kagura so she didn't reach for them. Seeing her confusion, Kagura continued. "Sesshomaru has asked me to be your companion. When he was done talking with me he sent me to fetch you. Seeing Naru with the cloths, I offered to take them to you, because I was already headed this way." Kagome didn't understand why Kagura was at Sesshomaru's command, but she could tell that she was telling the truth. Her miko senses told her that Kagura wasn't a threat, so she got out of the hot spring.
When Sesshomaru heard a knock at the library door, he smiled. Kagome's scent gave her away. 'Why am I glad that it is her?' Sesshomaru didn't have time to ponder his thought because he had to answer her knock. "Come in Kagome. Oh and Kagura, will you please wait in Kagome's room." Kagura bowed and left. Sesshomaru motioned for Kagome to sit, and she did so.
"Lord Sesshomaru (she wanted to be polite so she called him by his proper title.) I would like to thank you for your hospitality. I never thought that you would be this kind to a human." Although she did not mean her remark meanly, it pricked his conscience. Even though Kagome could not smell his tears, she could tell that the coming remark was touching on a tender subject.
"I have recently realized that all life is precious." His voice trailed of as he finished his statement. Kagome noticed his tears and was shocked that the great lord was showing this much emotion. Feeling sorry for him, Kagome felt the sudden need to change the subject.
"I do not mean to cause you pain. Shall we return the subject that brought me here?" Sesshomaru shook his head, and sobbed a little before speaking again.
"My pain is why I brought you here." This surprised Kagome. Seeing her look of confusion, he continued. "I'm sure you have previously seen the human child that I was raising." Kagome nodded. "Well she was killed last week. I say killed, but the proper word is murdered." Kagome gasped, but knew that it would be better not to interrupt him. "I have asked you to help me defeat Naraku, because he took away the only joy in my life." Hearing this, Kagome's blood boiled with rage. Sesshomaru smelled her anger and it comforted him. He felt that he could tell her everything and so he explained how the little girl lost her life.
"Three weeks ago, I came across Kagura wounded in the forest. Rin begged me to help her. Inwardly I was skeptical, but the child so rarely latched on to people that I felt I could not say no. Kagura, once healed, explained that she had not been successful in killing you, and as a punishment Naraku tried to kill her. She was so thankful for my help, that she invoked a life debt. At the time I really did not like the idea, but because Rin was so attached to her, I agreed to it." Kagome was confused; so far the story was one of joy. How could kindness provoke hate? But she thought of Naraku, and knew that he was good at ruining the happiest scene. Sesshomaru continued with his story, and the more he talked the angrier Kagome got. "One day when Kagura and Rin were playing in the garden, Naraku came and attacked Kagura. She was knocked for only a few minutes, but when she awoke Naraku getting ready to leave. He had Rin in his arms, and Kagura could tell from her scent that he held only her lifeless body. Kagura screamed for him to stop, but couldn't do anything to stop him. Sneering at her helplessness, he rose into the air and took Rin's body away. I wasn't even allowed to burry her." Sesshomaru started weeping, and Kagome's heart went out to him. Unlike him, however, you could not read her face.
They sat that way for several minutes, until they were interrupted by a nock at the door. Inuyasha had spent the whole night away from camp. Kagome had been gone for only a few hours, but he already missed her. He regretted telling her of his love for Kikyo almost as soon as he said it. He could tell that he had hurt her, but what surprised him most was that she had masked her emotions. Kagome was nothing but emotions, and to see her so stoic scared him. She obviously held more talents then he had cared to learn. Just as he decided to return to the camp he smelled Kikyo. He didn't want to talk to her, but he knew that she would never allow him to ignore her. When she jumped in front of him, he only growled and continued walking. She walked beside him.
"What is bringing you down?" He didn't answer, but she could guess. She had passed the camp and not seen Kagome. "Did my double run back home again?" She started to laugh at the joke that Inuyasha had started, but she stopped when she laughed alone.
"Kikyo, I want you to go away. I do not love any more, and Kagome has shown me that!" Kikyo was angry. Inuyasha had been playing perfectly into her plans. She wasn't going to let him ruin things now.
"So did you finally sleep with her? I knew that was only after one thing. She knew that you were mine, and she couldn't stand the competition. Why are you so blind to her manipulative ways?" Kikyo loved making him angry, but she wasn't expecting him to literally pounce on her!
"How dare you insult her! I just watched her do something that no other human has ever done, and it took my stupidity to realize that you died fifty years ago. You died, and I never asked you to come back. Memories cannot compete with flesh and blood, and frankly you are nothing compared to her!" Kikyo was boiling now. He could smell her rage, and smiled at the thought of the emotionless Kagome.
"What did she do that impressed you? Did she defeat you, or 'sit' you, or did she break a record for crying?" At hearing this last statement, Inuyasha couldn't contain his hate. His hand flew, and left the priestess sobbing over her now very sore cheek. Inuyasha got up and headed back to camp. He could smell Sango in the woods near Kikyo, and was glad that someone else had heard what he said. Perhaps Sango would help him get Kagome back.

Ok people this is chapter four! I know that Rin's death is very sad, but I'm not certain that she is going to stay dead. For the moment, however, it is the only way to get Sesshomaru to start showing his emotions in public. So far it has been mostly fluff, but soon I'm going to bring Sesshomaru and Inuyasha face to face. I'm not sure who is going to be in the final battle, but Naraku is going to die. Please review.